One of the first questions every driver asks before starting work: how much can I actually earn? The answer depends on the city, hours worked, platform, and your approach. Let's look at real numbers based on data from our 500+ partners.
Average earnings by city
Data for Q1 2026, average turnover (before expenses):
Poznań
A mid-sized city with good demand. Less competition than Warsaw, steady order flow.
- 30 hours/week: 1,200-1,600 zl
- 60 hours/week: 2,800-3,500 zl
- 90 hours/week: 5,500-7,500 zl
Peak hours: morning (7:00-9:00), evening (17:00-20:00), Friday-Saturday nights.
Warsaw
The largest market. High demand, but more drivers too. Higher average fares due to longer trips.
- 30 hours/week: 1,400-1,800 zl
- 60 hours/week: 3,200-4,200 zl
- 90 hours/week: 6,500-9,000 zl
Peak hours: same as above + Chopin Airport (early morning and late evening flights).
Gdańsk / Tricity
Three cities (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot) operate as one market. Summer tourist season increases demand by 30-40%.
- 30 hours/week: 1,300-1,700 zl
- 60 hours/week: 3,000-3,800 zl
- 90 hours/week: 6,000-8,500 zl
Peak hours: morning/evening + weekends (tourists, restaurants, clubs in Sopot).
Turnover is not profit
It's important to understand the difference between turnover (what the app shows) and net profit. Main driver expenses:
- Platform commission: Uber 25%, Bolt 15-20%, FreeNow 15-18%
- Fuel: 800-1,500 zl/month (depends on vehicle)
- Car rental: ~500 zl/week (if you don't own one)
- ZUS: 380-1,670 zl/month (depends on self-employed history)
- Tax: 8.5% ryczalt on turnover after commission deduction
- Insurance: 200-350 zl/month
- Car maintenance: 150-300 zl/month
Calculation example
Driver in Poznań, 60 hours/week, Toyota Corolla Hybrid, car rental through Optima:
- Monthly turnover: ~13,000 zl
- Platform commission (avg. 20%): -2,600 zl
- Fuel: -900 zl
- Car rental: -2,000 zl
- ZUS (preferential): -850 zl
- Tax ryczalt 8.5%: -884 zl
- Maintenance/washing: -250 zl
- Net profit: ~5,500 zl/month
That's approximately 1,300 EUR - above the average salary in Poznań. When working with your own car (no rental) net profit increases to ~7,500 zl.
How to increase earnings?
- Work peak hours. Surge pricing can increase rates by 1.5-2.5 times.
- Use multiple platforms. Uber + Bolt + FreeNow simultaneously. Less downtime between orders.
- Know your city. GPS isn't always optimal. Drivers who know traffic shortcuts complete more trips per hour.
- Maintain your rating. High rating = priority in order distribution on some platforms.
- Hybrid cars. Fuel savings of 500-800 zl/month directly increase net profit.
When to expect first payments?
Uber and Bolt pay weekly. This means within a week of starting work you'll receive your first transfer. Optima Partner also operates on a weekly settlement cycle - you get a payment each week based on your turnover minus expenses.
Platform onboarding takes 24 hours (if documents are ready). If you need help with legalization and documents - a lawyer is included in the partnership cost.